Assassin s Creed Shadows Romance Options Guide and Character Relationships

Step into the shadows of feudal Japan not just as a deadly assassin, but as a lover navigating complex relationships. Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers players a rare chance to explore romance with a diverse cast of characters, from daring rogues to regal ladies, each with their own stories and quests. Whether you choose Naoe or Yasuke, your path will be peppered with heart-icon dialogue choices leading to intimate moments and meaningful connections-if you dare to pursue them amidst the chaos of stealth and combat.

In this Assassin’s Creed Shadows guide, we’ll cover how romance works, followed by a list of all romance options and details of how to romance them.

Update (April 1): Not joking – we’ve added one more romance option.

How romance works in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Romance in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is integrated through specific questlines involving key characters such as Gennojo, Katsuhime, Ibuki, Hori Hidemasa, and Lady Oichi. Players encounter romance opportunities during main or personal quests, where flirtatious dialogue options marked with a heart icon appear, signaling moments to deepen relationships. Consistently choosing these options progresses the romance, culminating in a special dialogue choice with a heart and arrow icon that officially confirms the relationship and triggers a tasteful romantic scene. Notably, romance is disabled in Canon Mode, and players can pursue multiple romances simultaneously without negative consequences, as the characters do not interact regarding these relationships.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows handles romance in a quite straightforward manner. In order to establish a romantic relationship with a character, you must basically follow their questlines.

From the first time you meet said characters, dialogue options with romantic connotations are available for you to choose from – they are indicated by a heart icon (see above). Although only picking these options in conversations doesn’t appear obligatory to become more intimate with them, it’s important to focus on them if you don’t want to risk losing each romance option.

As you complete quests related to these characters and continue to choose flirtatious dialogue options, eventually a dialogue option with a heart crossed by an arrow appears. Choosing it makes your relationship official.

Reaching this stage in your relationship is followed by an intimate scene featuring these characters, but don’t worry: These scenes aren’t too explicit.

Can you romance multiple characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you can romance multiple characters without facing any negative consequences or being locked out of other romance opportunities. Both protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, have several romance options available, and pursuing relationships with more than one character simultaneously is possible. The game marks flirtatious dialogue choices with a heart icon, making it easier to identify romantic paths. Importantly, the romanceable characters do not interact with each other, so your multiple relationships remain separate and do not cause conflicts within the story. However, romance is disabled if you play in Canon Mode, which locks you into specific story choices without romance options.

As far as we can tell, there are no negative repercussions to romancing more than one character at once.

The romanceable characters don’t interact with each other, and we haven’t seen a quest where the nature of your relationship with them is discussed. In any case, as far as we can tell, being in a romantic relationship with more than one character is only a matter for Naoe since she’s the only one who has more than one option.

All Assassin’s Creed Shadows romance options for Naoe and Yasuke

In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, both Naoe and Yasuke have multiple romance options that enrich their personal stories throughout the game. Naoe can pursue romantic connections with characters like Gennojo, a charismatic thief with a tragic past, and Katsuhime, whose relationship develops through a series of quests culminating in a committed romance. Yasuke, on the other hand, has romance options including Lady Oichi, whose storyline involves several key moments that deepen their bond despite challenges. Romance in the game is initiated by selecting dialogue options marked with heart icons during conversations, leading to meaningful romantic scenes without affecting the main gameplay. These options offer a blend of one-off flirts and deeper relationships, allowing players to explore the emotional sides of both protagonists as they navigate medieval Japan.

Below, based on a playthrough that was completed through the main story, you find all the romanceable characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, with the character who can romance them in parentheses.

Gennojo (Naoe)
Katsuhime (Naoe)
Koshiro (Naoe)
Mayu (Naoe)
Lady Oichi (Yasuke)
Hori Hidemasa (Yasuke)
Ibuki (Yasuke)
Rin (Yasuke)

Some of these characters are also recruited as companions, but don’t worry. Following their romantic route does not affect your capacity to recruit them as allies. Below, we’ll get into how to romance these characters, with key steps for each romance path in bold font.

How to romance Gennojo (Naoe)

To romance Gennojo as Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you need to follow his questline carefully and choose the right dialogue options marked with heart icons. First, complete the main story quest “Missing Missive” where you encounter Gennojo. After finishing “Lost Honor,” find him in Yamashiro to start the “Sake and Swords” quest, selecting “Depends what you’re offering” and then “Show me, thief” during conversations. Next, in “Honor Among Thieves” in Kyoto, choose “I’m keeping it, then” in the final chat. Finally, during the “Stolen Hearts” quest near Hills of Meeting, pick “I’m here for you” and then “I’d like to embrace you” to complete the romance, unlocking intimate scenes and deepening your bond with the charming thief.

Gennojo is the first of Naoe’s love interests to appear in the game. He is a bold thief who you meet during one of the missions you must complete while hunting down the Fool during the main story.

In case you want to make him one of Naoe’s lovers, here are the quests and steps you must follow:

Missing Missive

You can’t miss this quest since it’s part of the main story arc.
Fight Gennojo and retrieve the letter he stole.

Sake and Swords

Meet with Gennojo, who’s drunk and selling items he stole in Yamashiro.
When talking to him, go with the “Depends what you’re offering” dialogue option.
In the final conversation, pick the “Show me, thief” answer.

Honor Among Thieves

For this quest, meet Gennojo in Kyoto.
Complete the quest by invading and robbing the scroll he tells you about.
Before the mission ends, talk to him and choose the “I’m keeping it, then” response.

Stolen Hearts

Again, meet Gennojo in Kyoto. Find him northwest of Hills of Meeting.
The dialogue option “I’m here for you” is the one you should pick during the first interaction with him in this quest.
Later, go with “I’d like to embrace you.”

How to romance Katsuhime (Naoe)

To romance Katsuhime as Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, start by meeting her during the “Showdown in Sakamoto” quest, where you can flirt by saying, “I like your Teppo.” Progress through her side quests by choosing affectionate dialogue options such as “It offers time with me” in “Letter from Katsuhime” and “I do enjoy your company” in “The Tale of Genin.” You will then recruit her in “The Diary of Lady Rokkaku” by agreeing with “Yes, join us.” The romance culminates in the “The Jounin Pillow Book” quests, where selecting “Let’s find out” and finally “Yes. Forever.” unlocks a romantic cutscene, sealing your bond with Katsuhime. Make sure to keep choosing the heart-marked dialogue options to maintain the romance path.

Daughter of the leader of another shinobi clan, Katsuhime is a proud fighter whose faith in her teppo is as strong and sincere as the words that come out of her mouth. Her temper is similar to Naoe’s, which causes a little bit of tension in the air during their first interactions. Even so, she seems to trust Naoe enough to share her ideas and feelings.

Here are all the quests where you must pick the right dialogue choices to develop Naoe’s relationship with Katsuhime.

Showdown in Sakamoto

This is the final quest related to the Naginata target.
During the infiltration into the Sakamoto Castle, you follow Katsuhime for some time.
When talking to her, choose the “I like your teppo” dialogue option.

Letter from Katsuhime

Katsuhime can be found in The Shimmering Fields in Omi.
Help her find some sake in an underground deposit.
Eventually, Naoe invites Katsuhime to be part of the league. During this conversation, you must answer her with, “It offers time with me.”

The Tales of Genin

This time, meet Katsuhime in Wakasa.
You learn more about her while you help Katsuhime check if the family of her former master is okay.
Assist her in finding and killing the pirates who attacked the family.
In the final talk between Naoe and Katsuhime, go with “I do enjoy your company.”

Diary of Lady Rokkaku

Meet Katsuhime in Ado River Valley.
You will need to carry her out of a castle to save her life.
When talking to her, you should recruit her as a companion by picking the “Yes. Join us” dialogue option.

The Jounin Pillow Book

Find Katsuhime in Wakasa close to Jogu Shrine.
When they start talking, pick the “Let’s find out” option to express Naoe’s feelings.
Lastly, be sure to choose the “Yes. Forever” option.

How to romance Kochiro (Naoe)

To romance Koshiro (Naoe) in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you need to engage in the quest “The Leaf Turns” which occurs after key story events like sparing Commander Seiji and completing “Genzaburo’s Soldiers.” Start by visiting Koshiro’s place and helping him clean up, then find his goodbye letter revealing his lost purpose after injury. During the quest, choose the following dialogue options to deepen your bond: “You’re more than a blade to me,” “We have a special connection,” “I’d like to spend more time with you,” “You must follow your heart,” and finally, “Like me.” This romance path is shorter and ends with Koshiro giving Naoe a carved hairpin before he leaves on a journey to find himself, marking a bittersweet but meaningful connection.

Kochiro became a ronin and now he looks for a new reason to leave – or a new master to serve. As Naoe helps bring justice to his former companions, Kochiro subtly begins to show affection toward her. His romance route offers a bittersweet and yet romantic moment to Naoe.

Starting Kochiro’s romance route takes a little bit of time, but if you’re up for the challenge, here’s a list of all the quests and steps you must go through:

Brothers in Arms

One of the main story missions, it takes you to meet Kochiro while trying to learn more about the Ox.
During this quest, you need to help him find his friend Seiji.
After confronting Seiji, choose to spare him.

Genzaburo’s Soldiers

Koshiro appears on the People of Harima board.
It unlocks a new board with five targets. Kill all of them to complete the quest.

The Leaf Turns

A while after having talked to Kochiro at the end of the Genzaburo’s Soldiers, this quest will unlock.
You need to find him in Kitano Village.
When the option appears, choose “You’re more than a blade to me” as your first step to romancing him.
Your next step is to retrieve Kochiro’s toolbox which is inside Inariyama Garrison.
Once you have the box, go back and find Kochiro in Lover’s Lake.
As you talk to him, go with the “We have a special connection” dialogue option.
Right after, you must choose the “I’d like to spend more time with you.”
Follow Kochiro for a while and when a new conversation begins, choose “You must follow your heart.”
Sit beside him and as the conversation progresses, you must choose the “Like me” dialogue option to complete the quest.

How to romance Mayu (Naoe)

To romance Mayu (Naoe) in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players must undertake the “Mayu’s Offering” quest, which involves honoring all 69 Jizo statues scattered across the Japanese countryside. Throughout this pilgrimage, players should engage in key conversations with Mayu, choosing specific dialogue options to progress the romance: after honoring 10 statues, select “I know that feeling”; after 35 statues, choose “You can define your own path”; and upon completing the pilgrimage, pick “I learned to follow my own intuition.” Finally, when Mayu indicates your time together is ending, select “Not before I kiss you” to unlock an intimate scene where Naoe and Mayu share a kiss, completing the romance.

Like many other characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Mayu’s life was affected by the war. After losing her husband who never returned from battle, she began a journey to find herself again. By inviting Naoe in a quest to honor all Jizo Statues, Mayu finds her way to a new path.

To romance Mayu, you don’t need to go through a long chain of quests. There’s actually only one mission to be complete, but you’ll need to navigate the entire map in order to find the Jizo Statues and make offerings.

Mayu’s Offerings

Unlock the quest by talking to Mayu in Gose, Yamato.
Honor 10 Jizo Statues and go back to talk to her with Naoe. Choose the “I know that feeling” dialogue option to start flirting with her.
Next, you need to honor 35 Jizo Statues to unlock the dialogue. When talking to Mayu, use the option “You can define your own path.”
To unlock the final dialogue, you need to have found and honored all 69 Jizo Statues. Once you’re done, go back to Mayu. For help tracking the statues, see our guide to all Jizo Statue locations.
During the dialogue, go with “I learned to follow my own intuition” and “Not before I kiss you” to complete the romance route.

How to romance Lady Oichi (Yasuke)

To romance Lady Oichi in Assassin’s Creed Shadows as Yasuke, start by selecting the dialogue option “Some company might be nice” during the quest “An Education.” Later, in “The Wheel Unmasked,” choose to spare Lady Oichi to keep the romance potential alive. When you meet her in “The Wheel Turns,” pick “I miss your smile” to deepen the connection. Then, visit her at Cat Island in Lake Biwa, where you can decide whether to leave her dog with her children or take it with you-either choice won’t affect the outcome. Finally, choose “Let’s enjoy the moment” to solidify the romance, unlocking an intimate scene between Yasuke and Lady Oichi.

Lady Oichi is Oda Nobunaga’s sister and you can go through her romance route as Yasuke. She hides lots of secrets and, different from Naoe’s lovers, whether Yasuke will have the chance to further develop his relationship with her may impact the story.

If you plan on chasing this forbidden love between Yasuke, a samurai, and Lady Oichi, the sister of a daimyo, then here is what you must do.

An Education

This is one of Yasuke’s quests in which you can see part of his training.
During the quest, Yasuke meets Lady Oichi and talks to her.
Choose the “Some company might be nice” dialogue option.

The Wheel Unmasked

This is the final quest involving the Mourner, one of the Shinbafuku members.
Once you reach the target at the end of the quest, you must choose to spare them.

The Wheel Turns

Start this quest by meeting up with Lady Oichi.
In one of the first moments talking to her, choose the “I miss your smile” option.
Now, you need to meet her at Cat Island, which is in the middle of Lake Biwa in Omi.
After talking to her three daughters, you need to choose between leaving a dog with the kids or taking it with you. Regardless of what you choose, it won’t affect the final scene.
Next, pick the “Let’s enjoy the moment” dialogue option to make it official.

How to romance Hori Hidemasa (Yasuke)

To romance Hori Hidemasa in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you must play as Yasuke and initiate the side quest “The Betrayers,” which begins by speaking to Hori Hidemasa in the Otsu area of Omi. During this quest, you are tasked with taking down Nobunaga’s betrayers on Hidemasa’s behalf. After completing the mission, return to Hori Hidemasa and choose the dialogue option “Meeting you was my reward” to unlock a brief but meaningful romantic moment between Yasuke and Hidemasa. This romance is exclusive to Yasuke and is contained within this single questline, making it a short yet sweet encounter.

A former retainer under Oda Nobunaga, Hori Hidemasa captures Yasuke’s attention due to his loyalty to the man both of them respected. As Yasuke helps him avenge their daimyo, their relationship becomes more intimate.

In order to unlock the special scene with Hori Hidemasa, you must first help him in this revenge mission which doesn’t leave space for a lot of flirting. Even so, it’s a great quest. Here’s what you must do to unlock his romance route.

The Betrayers

Find this quest south of Omi. You must be playing Yasuke when you meet Hori.
Talking to Hori unlocks the Betrayers board with seven targets. After killing all of them, go back to Hori to complete the quest.
In the final conversation, choose the “Meeting you was my reward” dialogue option.

How to romance Ibuki (Yasuke)

To romance Ibuki as Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you must first switch to Yasuke before meeting Ibuki during the “Ambush Interrupted” quest in Hijiyama, Iga. Choose the dialogue option “I have changed” to start building trust. After recruiting Ibuki into the League, continue the romance by selecting flirtatious responses in the “Homecoming” quest, such as “Your mind works in beautiful ways” and “I am here to help.” If you opt not to recruit Ibuki immediately, you can still romance them later by choosing “Let’s be together in another way.” The romance culminates in the “Putting Down Roots” quest, where giving Ibuki the gift of Blue Anemone Seeds and selecting “I want more than friendship” unlocks an intimate scene. Throughout these interactions, mixing positive dialogue choices is key to successfully romancing Ibuki, who initially distrusts Yasuke due to his past.

Now a ronin, Ibuki travels trying to make the world a better place by helping those in need, while looking with understanding eyes at those who had their hands forced by life to take a knife and steal from others.

Yasuke enjoys hearing them talking about art and beauty. Thus, if you plan on helping Yasuke to make Ibuki feel welcomed and loved, follow the steps below to unlock their romance route.

Ambush Interrupted

You can find this quest in Iga, South of Hijiyama, in a place called Kashiwara Village.
To start this quest, you must be playing Yasuke.
Meet Ibuki and help them defend the civilians.

Homecoming

Meet Ibuki in North of Hijiyama.
When talking to them, choose the “I am here to help” dialogue option.
Enter the Hijiyama Fort and fight your way to the highest section where you find Ibuki’s brother, Kyobei.
To make this romance route progress, pick the “Fight with us, Kyobei” dialogue option after finding him.
Leave the first and go meet Ibuki sitting by themselves Southeast of Hijiyama.
During the conversation that begins at this point, go with “Your mind works in beautiful ways.”
The next morning, you must recruit them to be your ally.

Putting Down Roots

Go meet Ibuki in the Hideout.
Talk to Ibuki and answer them with “You have lovely eyes.”
To help Yasuke make his move, you need to gather flower seeds.
You can find them crossing the bridge East of Katshiware Fort in Hijiyama.
With all the seeds with you, go back and talk to Ibuki.
Your final answer must be “I want more than friendship” to unlock the romance scene.

How to romance Rin (Yasuke)

To romance Rin in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you must play as Yasuke and progress through a series of quests including Winter Raiders, Arrow Strike, War Horse, and Ride Into Town. Begin by meeting Rin in Gobo village during Winter Raiders, then proceed to Arrow Strike where you help her with archery training, choosing flirtatious dialogue options like “Let me help you clean” and “It wasn’t my archery you were testing.” In War Horse, select the line “You excel at everything you try” to deepen the connection. Finally, during Ride Into Town, choose “Plum onigiri, please” and the romantic reply “I want to draw a picture of you,” followed by “I would like to kiss you” to unlock an intimate cutscene and complete the romance with Rin.

Rin is a woman who you initially meet in Gobo, a place in the Kii region, close to the Sazae Oni Shores. She is looking for warriors to help the village fight bandits who have been attacking them every winter. At the same time, Rin is looking for an opportunity to become stronger and learn how to fight by herself.

You can only romance Rin as Yasuke since their relationship begins with him being her teacher. If you’re interested in pursuing her route, here are all the steps you must go through.

The Winter Raiders

This is the quest that introduces Rin and unlocks her own chain of missions.
You find this quest in Gobo, Southern of Kii. The place is close to the coast, south of Sazae Oni Shores.
Although this quest unlocks a new board of targets, you don’t need to kill them in order to advance Rin’s quests.

Arrow Strike

To start this quest, meetRin West of Kumano Nachi Taisha shrines in her grandfather’s hut.
At the beginning of the conversation, you must choose the “Let me help you clean” dialogue option.
Next, shoot all the targets and when you talk to Rin pick the “It wasn’t my archery you were testing” option.

War Horse

To unlock this quest, you must have completed Arrow Strike and wait for the season to change.
Return to Rin, who is in the same area she was during the previous quest.
After following her around and helping Rin to rescue a horse, you need to ride alongside her to a waterfall.
You need to answer “You excel at everything you try” when Yasuke and Rin start talking.

Ride into Town

Just like it happened with War Horse, Ride into Town will only become available – and appear on the map – once the season changes.
You need to meet Rin in her hut, but when you get there, you must fight a few bandits.
Follow Rin until you are back in the city and talk to a merchant.
When the merchant offers a free onigiri, be sure to pick the “Plum onigiri, please” dialogue option.
Later, go with “I want to draw a picture of you.”
The final answer to unlocking the intimate moment between Yasuke and Rin is “I would like to kiss you.”

Which romance options in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are the most surprising to discover

The most surprising romance option in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is Yasuke’s relationship with Lady Oichi, a royal figure whose connection with Yasuke is both unexpected and deeply developed throughout the story, culminating in memorable and plot-relevant moments. Additionally, Naoe’s romance with Gennojo stands out as unusual because it begins with conflict-starting with a fight-and evolves into a meaningful bond rather than a traditional fairytale romance. These relationships offer depth and narrative integration that go beyond typical fleeting flings, making them stand out among the game’s romance options.

Which romance options in Shadows reveal unexpected character depths

The romance options in Assassin’s Creed Shadows that reveal unexpected character depths are primarily found in the relationships involving Yasuke and Naoe’s partners. Yasuke’s romance with Lady Oichi stands out for its complexity and narrative significance, uncovering layers of forbidden love and political tension that deepen both characters beyond their surface roles. Similarly, Naoe’s romance with Gennojo is notable for starting with conflict and evolving into a meaningful connection, showcasing growth and vulnerability in both characters through their intertwined questlines. These romances are integrated into the story, allowing players to explore nuanced emotional bonds that enrich the protagonists’ journeys rather than serving as mere side distractions.